Harry Potter and The PuppetMasters
by BaZzOuZ
Summary: After the department of mysteries episode at the end of his fifth year, Harry is left to deal with everything by himself. A story about allies, friends, magic, betrayal and revenge. post OoTP, no stable pairings
1. Summertime

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything to do with J.K.Rowling's realm. However, I own the original bunny plots that I would try to implement in this story, and I will try to give credit when due if ever I use an idea brought by another fanfic author.

Author's notes: This is my first fanfiction. In fact, this is the first time I write a fiction of any kind. I hope to get constructive criticism, and not too many flames. Anyway, if you like what you read, please leave me a review. And now with the story …

**Harry Potter and The Puppet-Masters**

Chapter 1: Summertime (but the living is not as easy as it seems)

It was approaching mid-day and the sun was almost at its peak, restlessly sending flaming rays over the rooftops of the houses on both sides of Privet Drive, a residential part of Little Whinging, Surrey. There was nothing out of the ordinary in that neighbourhood: almost similar lined up two-story homes, with tidy front yards and hidden back yards. There weren't many cars parked in front of the garages, because many of the residents were at work, but if you had the -oh so incredible- opportunity to see the same landscape in the evening or early in the morning, fancy family cars will most probably catch your sight. Even the boy pushing the mower in front of number 4 seemed pretty much normal.

Harry Potter was not having a good day. Even if he had woken up later than usual, the leisure of oversleeping was paid ten times over, as working in the garden under the burning sun was its price. The 15 years old teenage boy was just thinking about his day and his bad luck. He thought about the previous days, and decided he was rather having a bad month. And if he gave it more thinking, he would have come to the conclusion that he was having a bad life, but he didn't continue on this train of thought. At least this day will be over in ten hours, but his life is going to last a bit more, 'unless Voldy Moldy decided to pay me a visit' he ironically told himself. _And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..._

Harry shivered as he remembered the prophecy. It has been two weeks since the beginning of the summer, and he still hasn't given it much thought. More important matters were at hand, like trying not to get beaten by his abusive uncle and his whale of a cousin, and grieving over the death of his godfather, one Sirius Black. That, he has been thinking of. A lot. And he had come to a couple of conclusions. First of all, Bellatrix Lestrange has jumped a couple of places, and is now ranked number 2 on his I-Wish-Them-A-Horrible-Death list, trailing Voldemort by little. But most importantly, he convinced himself that he can't take all the blame for Sirius' death, for Dumbledore played a part in it too, forcing the lively man to stay in a place laced with bad memories and not giving him any chance to breathe the fresh air. In fact, if he blamed himself, why wouldn't he blame Sirius for his parents' death? Weren't he the one who asked them to change their secret keeper, giving Wormtail the chance to offer their heads on a silver platter to Voldemort? No, Sirius has no responsibility in the death of James and Lily Potter, hence Harry has none in Sirius's death. However, when Sirius had gone, he had felt as if half of his hopes had dropped and shattered on the floor like glass. For he was dreaming of leaving the Dursleys, and moving in with Sirius, someone he can truly call family.

Suddenly, without giving any prior notice, the heavy and formerly vibrating machine stopped working. He cursed whatever Deity was watching over him. He stood staring at the bulk of plastic and metal. He couldn't help a cold and sarcastic laugher to escape his mouth, as he thought 'even electrical devices drop dead around me'. Harry understood the dangers he puts anybody close to him in, due to his connection with Voldemort. That is one of the major reasons he kept to himself, trying not to get too close to people, fearing they would be targeted by Death Eaters, and the ones in training at Hogwarts. Still, a big part of him was yearning to build lasting relationships with his schoolmates. He has been ignored for such a long time, courtesy of his cousin who scared all potential friends and threatened them if they got close to him. Now the hippopotamus living next room couldn't reach him in Hogwarts, so why not try to make the best of it and have as many friends as possible. Again, he wished Voldemort could just do him a small favour and push his wand into his chest through his heart, painfully ending his life.

Harry shook his head trying to get rid of his insane wishful thinking, and saw that he was still looking at the mower, as if it held the answer to all his problems. He sighed and remembered how some muggles on TV kick their machines and make them work again. He thought 'what the hell', and gave the tool a not so small kick, making it roar with life again, and earning a sore foot on the same occasion. He made a mental note to himself: 'kick electrical devices, but not on the metallic parts'. He resumed his work and finished it, returned the mower to its place in the garage, and got back inside as the clock in the entry hall indicated half past noon. While going up the stares, he made a mental checklist: wash the dishes, done; clean the ground floor windows, done; sweep the kitchen floor, done; tend to the garden, done. He smiled as he realised that the only remaining undone chores for the day were taking out the garbage in the evening, and washing the dishes after dinner. He had a couple of hours to do what he liked within the very small number of possibilities that life with the Dursleys offered, but it was freedom nonetheless.

He entered his room, grabbed what he needed for a quick shower, and then made a bee-line to the intended room. He was sweaty and really hot, and a cold shower was most welcome. In the stall, under the freezing jet of water, Harry thought about the two weeks he had spent in this house, and about how much he discovered about his relatives. It seems that his uncle's company was not in a good shape, so the investors showed him the doorstep, without a single penny for compensation. This happened a couple of months ago. After the incident, Vernon Dursley took to drinking, and came home far from sober every other day. He couldn't find a job with the same high income, but after his wife insisted, he took a low income office job, knowing that a promotion will take some time to come. Petunia, after spending every pound she had to buy dresses for her weekly tea parties, fell into dire need for money. She had a principle, one of the few she would never break: never go to a tea party without a new item of clothing, even if it was just a new scarf. When her nephew came back from his school to spend the summer, she had already missed 2 of her precious gatherings. When Harry heard her mumbling under her breath about this distressful situation, he stored the information for future use. It was not a secret to anybody but the Dursleys that Harry had money, and he had a lot of it. If he found a way to bribe his aunt, she could do a lot for him.

However, if they made any arrangements, both Harry and Petunia knew that they would have to deal with everything in secret, because they wanted to avoid Vernon's wrath in his drunken haze if he found out. In fact, Harry has been making himself scarce when his uncle was at home, especially when he was intoxicated. Who knew what a drunken hot-tempered bully would do if he was alone with the boy which he scathingly dubbed 'the source of all my troubles'. Harry has got used to shut himself in his room after dinner, when Vernon usually goes out to his favourite pub, and would come back at no specific hour. In fact, dinner was the only occasion on which Harry was in the physical presence of his uncle, and if he could skip it, he would without bating an eyelash. Since the Order has told Vernon with unquestionable words, on King's Cross, that they would intervene if Harry was not treated well, the young raven haired boy has gained the liberty to wake up on any hour he wished, but he still had to do most of the chores.

Harry has also been keeping out of the way of his cousin Dudley. The latter's body has reached humungous proportions, and he was well trained in boxing. The smaller boy could try to evade and dodge the inevitable punches whenever they were by themselves, he had seeker reflexes after all. Yet, he knew that once one punch touched its target, bones will certainly crack.

All in all, the young wizard has been keeping to himself. He spent some part of his free time in his room, the other part being spent of the roof of the house. On the first day of his return to Privet Drive, he had discovered this new spot: he was feeling extremely hot, having just lived 9 months in Scotland, some 400 miles north from where he was now, so he opened the window and had almost half his body through it. And for the first time, he saw what was beyond the edges of the window, which happened to be on the left side of the house. A little bit beyond the right edge of the window, there was the front part of the roof, that was about a yard higher than the back side of it. And from the left edge of the window, he could access the lower roof, as there was a couple of hidden small and slim steps, which were probably there for security reasons, in case of a fire per example, Harry thought. When he had climbed to the lower roof, he had discovered that it was almost flat, slightly descending, and it was totally hidden from the street by the tree in front of his window. Harry rejoiced: here was THE place to where he could escape when the heat in his room became unbearable, it was shadowed by the tree and there was always a small refreshing breeze to ease the temperatures of the summer. After that fateful day, Harry spent more than 2 hours daily, lying on the roof. He was not afraid that someone might open his room and not find him inside, he was used to lock himself in, the muggle way, because he still wasn't allowed to use magic outside school. The only way he could be caught was if his cousin had half his body through the window of his room who gave on the same part of the roof, and Harry was sure the big pig would never do it, being afraid of stumbling forward and falling down.

Harry came out of his musings, he was still under the shower, the skin on his fingers had begun to have ridges, and he was sure his aunt will start shouting soon outside the bathroom door, accusing him of using too much water. He got out of the stall, dried himself, then he put his faded grey shorts and his baby blue sleeveless shirt, which he had made himself by cutting the sleeves with a pair of scissors. He went back to his room, and noticed that Hedwig was still out on the hunt, the only presence in her cage a couple of mice bones. He decided to lay on the roof. Not wanting to take any risks, he took the spot directly behind Dudley's window.

Lying on his back just above his cousin's room, he remembered how he ventured inside it a week earlier. He knew Dudley was in his boxing club, probably trying to pick a fight with a new member just in order to fit the image of a bully. He got to the edge of the window. Seeing that it was open, he carefully descended the small steps that were similar to the ones beside his window, and jumped inside a room which he had never entered. Saying that it was untidy would be an understatement. Pieces of clothing littered the floor, the bed was unmade and the desk had tons of paper unceremoniously thrown at it. Only three places had a semblance of tidiness: the corner of the room which was occupied by some weight lifting machine, the keyboard of the computer that was on a kind of sliding platform which was part of the desk, and finally the surprisingly full bookshelf that was hanging on one of the walls. However, Harry's surprise didn't last long, as he noticed the layers of dust on the books ('These books are there for esthetical reasons', Harry thought). The computer was on, but the young wizard didn't give it a second thought, he was totally unfamiliar with this technology. So Harry went to the bookshelf to see its contents. He was through the process of re-reading his last year's school books, and would be in need of new reading material soon, if he was not to die of boredom. Most of the books were the academic ones studied at Smelting, Dudley's school. As he was sure that his cousin wouldn't notice any missing ones, Harry decided to borrow two or three books. As mathematics didn't interest him much, and he had a bad experience with chemistry, thanks to Snivellus Snape, he decided to borrow two physics books and one of biology.

He had devoured the books in less than 3 days, and had remade a visit to put them back to their places and borrow some more. I mean, when you have half the day and all the night free to yourself, you had plenty of time to fill. He was very interested in the biology books, specially the chapters delving into the intricates of the human body, from the anatomy to the nervous system. In the physics books, he skipped the chapters about mechanics, and concentrated on electrical signals and electro-magnetic waves and fields. He didn't understand the background theory, but the practical aspect was intriguing to say the least. He didn't know why, but he felt that this could be useful somewhere.

Back to the present, Harry was thinking about his aunt. He knew he could ask her to do small services in exchange of an appropriate amount of much needed cash. But what did he want from her? He lay there in his hidden spot, thinking about it, and eventually he fell asleep.


	2. Letters and Allies

Chapter 2: Letters and Allies

Harry awoke with a tickling sensation on his right ear. Eyes still closed, he tried to throw off the bug crawling its way into his hair, but he ended up pushing a heavier than expected soft object, which began to ruffle its wings and hoot in an undignified way. Conscious of the damage he had just done, the young wizard opened his emerald green eyes and sat up slowly. The first thing he saw was a glaring Hedwig.

"Sorry girl, but I didn't know it was you, it was just my sleeping reflexes" he told her lovingly, while making his way to her. The owl let him get closer, and when he was within touching distance, he caressed her right side, probably where he had hit her, as some feathers were ruffled. The wise bird became calm, and hopped into his lap. He smiled at her, and started his daily task of taking care of her plumage, revelling in the soft feathery touch. The owl hooted in contentment. He looked at the beautiful creature sitting between his legs, and remembered the day when Hagrid gave it to him as a birthday gift. Hedwig was his first birthday gift ever, and she was one of his dearest possessions: she was a loyal and intelligent messenger, and a good companion.

"We're going inside girl, I have a small mission for you" he said to her while getting up, knowing exactly what would be her reaction. She hopped from his lap, and stood her head held high, in a clear sign of pride. He got to his window and went inside, Hedwig following him. She flew to her perch, and he gave her some owl treats. He still had to decide to whom he should write, and what he should reveal of his plans.

Harry went to his desk, and took out a parchment from the drawer. He dipped his quill in the inkwell which contained some royal blue coloured ink, and he hung his right hand above the thick paper, the tip of the quill barely not touching it. He wanted to withdraw some money from his vault and exchange them to pounds, which were necessary if he wanted to convince his aunt (more like to bribe her) to give him some liberties and do some favours. Who could he trust with his vault key? It would have to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He had to make a choice between Mad Eye Moody, Tonks and Remus a.k.a. Moony, as they were of the few he knew, and the only ones he trusted for this job. He started playing in his mind how each one of them would act in Gringotts. First of all, he saw Moody striding through the big entry hall of the bank, his magical eye working furiously and spinning in every direction to catch a suspicious act; he would growl impatiently in the waiting line, making everybody stand out of his way and give him instant access to the goblin standing behind the counter. 'No, that would attract much unneeded attention' Harry thought to himself. He then pictured Tonks going in there, with her wild pink hair clashing horribly with the beige robe she would be wearing. She would trip on the first goblin that crosses her way, and she would be thrown out of the bank for offensive behaviour. 'No, that will not do'. That leaves Remus. He didn't want to pick him as his first choice, because he was afraid the man would not be friendly to him, accusing him of being responsible for his best friend's death. But he knew that Remus was the right man for the job, with his ever calm behaviour and his capability to evade attention. 'So, Remus it is'. But first, he needed to test the grounds to see if he could ask him to do whatever he had in mind. After 10 minutes of writing and rewriting, choosing carefully his words, the ending result was half a dozen of crumpled parchments in the waste bin and a letter, which read:

_Moony,  
How are you? I'm alright considering the circumstances. I hope everything is going fine at the headquarters.  
I need to ask you a favour. I want you to help me convince Dumbledore to let me go shopping to Diagon Alley with you sometime soon. The truth is, I am getting bored doing nothing, and I wanted to buy some books and other stuff in order to fill my time. Tell the headmaster I'm not contending his decision to keep me at the Dursleys, but at least he could offer me some accommodations in this prison. I would accept all the necessary security measures to go to Diagon Alley, I would even suggest taking a Polyjuice Potion (I could provide the money to buy it if Snape doesn't have it in his supply).  
I hope to get an answer from you soon.  
Harry_

Although he was happy with the result, Harry frowned: now he needed to do something he had pledged to himself not to do during the summer, writing to Dumbledore. He was pretty much angry with the headmaster. Why hadn't he told him about the prophecy before? And most importantly, why hasn't he been training him, if he knew that a final battle between Harry and Voldemort will seal the fate of the wizarding world? Dumbledore had provided such lame excuses, he wondered if they were truthful. 'If Dumblebum cared about me so much, why did he let me face Voldy Moldy four times in the last 5 years? The old coot seems to know everything, at least he could have prevented me from facing a certain death. He wants me to have a childhood? Well guess what old man, I never had the privilege of being treated like a child, from the Dursleys' abusive care to all the high expectations from the wizarding community'. Harry decided to make the letter simple and direct to the point.

_Sir,  
Since I'm being kept at the Dursleys doing nothing all summer, I would like to go to Diagon Alley for a short while in order to purchase some books and other supplies to keep me occupied. I would accept all the security measures that you deem necessary.  
Harry Potter._

No need to imply that he wanted Remus to come, the werewolf had his own ways to persuade the headmaster. And if the headmaster still refuses, Harry could use his trump card, which was the mourning he and Moony shared for Sirius. 'Surely the headmaster was too kind hearted to refuse such a small request from his suffering golden boy' Harry thought sarcastically. Harry turned to Hedwig, after sealing both letters and said to her "Girl, I want you to deliver these two letters. First, give Remus his letter, then go to Dumbledore and give him the second one". Hedwig put forward her left leg to allow her master to attach the letters. Then with a soft hoot and a graceful push of her wings, she seared through the window and into space, a mission to accomplish on her mind.

Harry laid back on his bed. Now, all he had to do was wait for the replies. He just hoped that Dumbledore won't put a stick in his wheels, now that he had a plan of sort. Without looking, he put his hand on his bedside table and withdrew the book on it. It was one of the books he had taken from Dudley's room, but this one was different from the previous ones. This one was about computers. Harry still hadn't touched Dudley's keyboard, but he wanted to know what this machine could do. And man, he was surprised at all the possibilities that opened up to him. Does the word "internet" ring a bell? He had read about the World Wide Web in the first chapters, and this has caught his interest. Now, he was trying to memorize every useful detail about manipulating this complex machine.

Harry delved into his book, and it was only his aunt shouting "dinner is ready" that interrupted his reading. He put the book aside, marking the page he was reading with a small bit of paper. He didn't want to leave any trace that he had borrowed the thick volume.

Nowadays, he dreaded being in the presence of his uncle, but he had to control his fears and keep an indifferent and an uninterested façade. He got down the stairs and went to the kitchen where all three members of the Dursley family were already seated. His whale of a cousin was devouring his meal, as if he hadn't eaten for 3 days. His uncle was keeping to himself, which was not unusual, since he and his aunt had fallen out because of his drinking problems. The beefy man was enjoying his meal, while trying to act as indifferent as possible. Harry had to admit that his aunt was a good cook. But right now, this aunt was glaring at him. Since the house income had dropped dramatically after Vernon's dismissal from his work, the costs of Harry living at the Dursleys had relatively increased, which meant he was partly the reason why Petunia couldn't go to her tea parties. Harry ignored his aunt and tried to eat without making a sound that would indicate he was present. He has become accustomed to playing the role of the invisible guest.

When everybody finished their meal, Harry stood and started clearing the table without being ordered to. Nobody protested. The raven haired boy went on and washed the dishes. When he was done, he took the garbage outside, and then disappeared to his room. This was the after dinner ritual that he had been practicing for the last two weeks.

In his room, Harry went to his window. It was almost dark, but he still could see shadows walking up and down Privet drive. He looked at the end of the street and wondered if there was anyone from the Order of the Phoenix doing any watch-over-the-boy-who-lived duties. He was sure that Dumbledore had increased the security around his relatives' house for the summer, fearing that the Dark Lord would want to get his revenge after the debacle at the Department of Mysteries. Harry wasn't so sure about that. Since the incident at the Ministry of Magic, his scar hadn't hurt a bit. He knew Voldemort wasn't doing anything of great proportion, he is probably regrouping his forces after the capture of some of his most important servants. 'Well that's new', Harry thought, 'now I'm trying to figure out what a mad man is going to do next'. He cleared his mind and picked up his book, and he read until his eyebrows became too heavy. The last thought he had before giving up to slumber was 'I hope Hedwig comes back with some good news tomorrow'.

Harry woke up at around 8 in the morning. He had slept well, like every night this last week, after coming to terms with Sirius' death. He slowly and carefully opened his eyes, not wanting to be blinded by the morning light. Ten minutes later, he was sitting on his bed, examining his surroundings. That's when he noticed that Hedwig was watching him. She was on her perch, with a letter attached to one of her clawed legs. The young wizard went to his owl, and petted her. His reward was a soft hoot.

While trying to get her rid of the letter, Harry talked to his precious pet. "Good morning girl. Thanks for not waking me up, I needed some rest. I didn't know that laying on my back most of the day can be as tiring." After successfully detaching the piece of parchment, the soon-to-be 16 years old gave his owl some treats, and retreated to his desk to read his correspondence. He scowled when he saw Dumbledore's round and stylish writing. 'Well here it goes' he thought when he opened the letter.

_Dear Harry,  
I am most concerned that a visit to Diagon Alley would put you through unneeded risks. Hence, if you could entrust me with a list of the things you had in mind to buy, I would oblige to ask Remus to purchase them.  
Albus Dumbledore  
Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry_

'Well that's a bum!" Harry thought to himself. 'It's not as if I wasn't expecting this answer. But the old man has the nerve to think I would tell him what I wanted to buy. Well he won't see what's coming his way.' Harry was angered by the headmaster's manipulation and obsession to control everyone and everything. 'People say he's all-knowing. Well of course he is, since he's the one pulling the strings to get the results he wants'. Harry threw himself on the bed and began to think how his relationship with Dumbledore has radically changed since the night after the Department of Mysteries excursion. Before that, the Headmaster was soothing and trustworthy, a bit like the grandfather Harry never had. Now the mere mention of his name was enough to make his blood boil within his veins. Some part of his mind told him he was exaggerating and being unreasonable, but he was a teenager, and teenagers have issues with authority figures.

Harry took a couple of calming breaths, but he was interrupted from his meditating state by another owl sweeping through his window. The regal looking owl fluttered gracefully to the end of his bed. Surprised by the sudden appearance, Harry took notice that it was an eagle owl belonging to the Hogsmeade post office, if he was to believe the small pendant clasped around its feathery neck. Harry wondered who would use such an owl to write to him. He knew that eagle owls cost at least three times more than normal owls, because they were twice as fast, and they could defend themselves better in case somebody wanted to intercept someone else's mail. Taking the letter carefully from the intimidating bird, Harry was even more surprised when he saw Moony's neat writing addressing the letter to him. From what Harry remembered from a couple of weeks at King's Cross train station, Remus still had the shabby looking robes. He felt warmed by the fact that the last of the Marauders (the real Marauders, as Sirius told him that Wormtail wasn't one anymore since his betrayal) would use what little money he had to mail him. Feeling emotional, Harry read the letter.

_Dear Harry,  
I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you after the events at the Ministry at the end of your school year. I know that you were terribly affected by what happened there, but know this: you should not blame yourself for anything that had to do with Padfoot. He went there by his own accord, and he died doing the one thing that he would be proud of dying for, that is defending the one he cares about the most. You were the only reason why he was still sane despite being imprisoned at the headquarters, you know how energetic he was.  
That is one of the reasons why I'm not staying at the headquarters. I still hear his laughter there … Look at me, rambling all by myself. Anyway, I'm staying in Hogsmeade, in one small apartment that Sirius left for me in his will. It's nothing much, but I like it all the same.  
I flooed the headmaster as soon as I received your letter, but he was adamant not to expose you to any unnecessary risks. I tried to convince him that by using Polyjuice you won't attract any attention, and that you had urgent matters to settle with Gringotts, what with Sirius' will, but he didn't waver in his opinion. I mean, you already missed the reading of the will, and you were the major benefactor, as you must already know from the letter Sirius left for you, which the Headmaster has certainly sent to you a week ago.  
Anyway, I will come by to see you at your relatives the next time I have watch-over duties, which should be the night in 2 days.  
Take care.  
Love  
Remus_

Harry passed through a wide range of emotional states as he got through the letter. First, he was heartened by Remus' assurances, then tears trickled on his cheeks as he remembered his hyperactive godfather. But all this turned into fury as he understood that the headmaster was still keeping vital information from him. What's more, Dumbledore had a personal letter addressed to him and he still hadn't given it to him. Harry felt his anger rumbling above the surface of his skin, and the hair on his hands and the back of his neck stood on end. Fortunately, it was only seconds later that he understood that what he felt as anger was indeed his magic. He stood immobile watching as little discharges of magic of every color seemed to go off his skin and crackle in the air. He was mesmerized by the scene, and was enjoying the sensation of power radiating through him, but came back to himself when some kind of electrical arc shot to the wall at his side and a scorch mark appeared there, as if the wall had been burned. Not wanting to cause further damage to the small room, he took deep calming breaths, and counted to ten. A few minutes later, all the magical energy in the room dissipated, and Harry fell on his bed exhausted.

Not knowing when he would wake up next as his eyelids became too heavy to lift, he made a final effort to stand and go to his desk, where he took a piece of parchment, and wrote a quick note to Remus. When he finished writing the letter, he turned back but couldn't find the eagle owl. 'It must have fled because of the magical outburst' Harry thought. Hedwig was still on its perch, as she was accustomed to his accidental magic. He got to her and attached the small envelope to her leg, after putting a small object in it.

Back to his bed, it didn't take Harry more than a few seconds to succumb to his fatigue. His last thought was 'I sure hope I won't get a letter from the Ministry of Magic for this outburst …'.

Hedwig flew out of the window, a bit worried about her master. The letter she was carrying read:

_Moony,  
I would be very pleased to see you. But please don't mention it to anyone, especially not the Order. Please come after 8 p.m., and meet me in the backyard. There is a passage behind the rose ponds of the front yard that leads there. Do not by any means alert the Dursleys of your presence.  
You will find in the envelope the key to my vault. Please withdraw enough money and trade them to English pounds, so that you would have around 5000 pounds, and bring the sum with you. I'll explain everything when we meet.  
Love,  
Harry  
__PS: I didn't get any letter from Dumbledore concerning Sirius' will_.


	3. A Visitor

Chapter 3: A Visitor

Harry woke up sometime later feeling a bit odd. What was odd was the fact that he felt a mild pain all over his body (even his toes felt sore) but at the same time he was feeling totally refreshed. After his numerous stays in the Hospital Wing in Hogwarts, he came to associate feeling pain with tiredness, so this was something new to him.

Looking at the broken but still working clock on his night stand, he knew he had slept about six hours, it was mid-afternoon at the moment and he was hungry. Since dinner wasn't due till a couple of hours, he decided to get a snack. Ten minutes later, he was back in his room with a ham and cheese sandwich. It seems no one was home, meaning no one troubled him on his little trip downstairs. He stood in front of his open window finishing up his snack. The weather was very nice, with a bright blue sky and the occasional white cloud, and the generous sun. The only sounds he could hear were the birds happily chirping in the trees and the water sprinkles working in the neighbour's garden. 'Who would have said that there is a war going on right now?' he thought gloomily. He stood there for quite a while, thinking about the guest he will be receiving tomorrow night. Then out of the blue, a wide grin made its way on his face. 'I shall arrange a special welcome for Moony'. Satisfied with himself, he went back to his books.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the rest of the day. Harry ate dinner with his relatives, received a note from Remus via Hedwig informing him of his time of arrival, then went to sleep. The following morning, he took care of the garden. And in all his free time, he finished his computer tutorial book and started re-reading his Potions 5th year manual. Harry knew he wasn't as pathetic in this subject as Snape loved to portray him in class. That man had it in for him. He was holding a twenty year old grudge. Harry knew that what Snape saw in him was just his father's looks and his celebrity. Snape hated him for things he wasn't responsible for, and Harry hated him back for treating him like he did in class and outside of it. If he was treated like any other student in this class, he would have much better grades in the practical section of the subject Snape taught. In fact, reading the manual without the professor looming around was almost as interesting as reading Defence books. Harry loved reading the captions below the step-by-step description of the making of each potion, where the author provided reasons why each ingredient should be prepared the way it was demanded for the present potion, and why the potion brewer should use one ingredient and not another one belonging to the same category.

At seven, Petunia called for dinner. Harry was so much enjoying his reading he didn't feel the time speed by. He started to feel excited about the prospect of meeting Remus in two hours. Not wanting to show any feelings to his uncle, he made his face as expressionless as he could muster and headed down the stairs.

The dinner was a solemn affair, as always. As soon as he could excuse himself, Harry went outside to throw the garbage. The sky was still light and by the time his guest arrived, it wouldn't be dark enough not to see, as the moon was still young, but it would be dark enough to hide most details. Afterwards, the black-haired boy went to the little garden shed and brought out the water sprinklers. He put them each in the place he had in mind and connected each to a water tap inside the shed. He made sure his uncle couldn't see them when he would make his way to the car, as it was accustomed every evening after dinner. Harry would only have to sit in the dark shed and wait for Remus to arrive while looking through the crack of the door. Happy with himself, he walked back inside to wash the dishes, and then went upstairs to stay out of his uncle's way.

At fifteen to nine, Harry crept downstairs. There was only his aunt in the living room, and she was busy watching the telly. He opened the door very slowly and left it barely open behind him. Well positioned in his hiding place, the green eyed wizard set himself to wait. Remus came on time. He walked up the street in a very casual demeanour. Harry had to squint his eyes to make sure it was him, anybody looking would have thought that Remus lived in the neighbourhood, by the way he was walking as if he was used to his surroundings. Harry saw Remus step on the lawn and walking straight his way. As soon as he was at the same level as the first water sprinkler, the young wizard opened the tap. Water sprang from the other side of the hose, and Remus jumped in surprise pulling out his wand and looked back. He rapidly figured out the problem and made to run out of the range of the sprinkler, but Harry was fast to open the second tap, and Remus was caught in the middle. Cursing loudly, he made a run and stepped above the second sprinkler, as it was in his way to make it to the backyard. Meanwhile, Harry was rolling on the ground, laughing hard. Soon, the werewolf was standing above him with a half-amused half-annoyed expression that Harry couldn't see.

"Well thank you for the reception committee." growled Remus. He took out his wand and spoke a drying charm. Harry stood up with the help of his ex-professor, still chuckling.

"Hello Remus." Harry answered back as if nothing just happened. "Would you care to join me to my luxurious bedroom? Just keep quiet, I don't want my relatives to see us, unless you want another reception committee …"

Remus just nodded. Harry had told him that the Dursleys must not know he was here. He followed Harry, and silently slipped inside the door, the young man closing it with extreme care. He could hear the noise coming from the living room, but he followed quietly up the stairs. Once he was inside Harry's room and Harry had closed the door, he took out his wand again and cast a silencing field around the room.

Harry didn't recognize the spell and raised an eyebrow to inquire. Remus obliged.

"It's a silencing field charm. It's very useful when you're discussing private matters in a public area, or when you do not want others to know somebody is talking nearby. So you can understand why it is not taught at Hogwarts, you can imagine students casting silencing fields around them and their friends nearby, and tuning out the professor while he is raving about one subject or another. It can be made to be from the two sides, that way someone outside can't hear you and you can't hear them either, but most of the time the silencing is just from one side of the field …" Remus trailed off when he saw Harry enraptured by his lecture. He couldn't believe how easily he could slip into teacher mode, as he liked to call it. "Sorry, I know you didn't ask me to come here for a lecture on silence fields"

"No, no, keep going" Harry asked him urgently. "It is very interesting and I want to learn how to cast something like that"

Remus saw the eagerness in the emerald green eyes and decided Harry should know, even if this wasn't to be taught to a Hogwarts student. As a fact, hadn't the Marauders cast silencing fields in every other class to come up with new pranks? "Ok. It isn't hard to cast such a spell. You just have to concentrate on the image of the space where you want the field to be active, and then say a modified version of the normal silencing charm, _Silencio_. See how I put the accent of the first syllable, and not on the second one like in the normal case, and we use the same wand movement. If you think about it, I could have cast the muffling charm, _Muffliato_. But the muffling charm makes a buzzing for the people who are trying to eavesdrop, and alerts them that there is an active spell somewhere near. The silencing field is undetectable in this regard, and you remove it with the normal _Finite_. However it is only one-way, so you can still hear what is going on outside the field, and it also can be cancelled from outside the field. If you want a two-way silencing field, you should use a modified version of the Imperturbable charm …" Remus trailed off while smiling sheepishly. He had slipped again into his teacher mode.

Harry was absorbing the information and trying to memorize everything. Remus had the ability to explain even the hardest of spells in simple ways, making it much easier to learn. That is why he was adored by most of the student body back when he was a teacher at Hogwarts.

Harry shook his head out of his stupor. "But I didn't hear you use any incantation, just the wand movement". He was rewarded with a mischievous smile rarely seen nowadays on the ex-professor's face.

"That's because I used wordless magic!"

Harry was surprised. He didn't know such a thing existed, but now that he thought about, it made sense. Didn't Dolohov use it with his purple slashing curse on Hermione? "Is it as difficult as wandless magic?" He asked, as curious as he always was.

"No, far from it. It just requires a lot more concentration, but most people are not willing to make the effort. But that's a lesson for another day" Remus said while smiling. "Tell me Harry, how have you been? Are the Dursleys treating you well?"

Harry considered the question and decided that Remus deserved honesty. "They have been treating me better than the last summers, mostly due to the threats you gave them at King's Cross. I mean, I have fewer chores to do, I can wake up whenever I want …" Harry trailed off, he didn't know how to tell his friend about his uncle. Remus, seeing the hesitation, put his hand on the soon to be 16 year old wizard's left shoulder, in an encouraging way. Harry took a deep breath and continued. "But things are different this year. Before, they used to push me out of the picture, now I'm the one isolating myself, especially because of uncle Vernon's predicament." Harry gulped, but seeing the curious and unsure expression on Remus' face, he pushed on. "He's taking to drinking after he lost his well-paid job. And I don't want to be around whenever he comes back home, pissed and without any moral or mental inhibitions".

Remus kept an expressionless face, while he was thinking furiously. It was a fact that the Order was keeping watch over Harry's residence, but it was solely from outside threats. Nobody ever thought that the Dursleys would harm their nephew. What's more, Harry is defenceless on his own without magic, in particular against huge bullies like his uncle. There were only 2 viable solutions: allow Harry to use magic, or remove him from the care of his relatives. But to where? Grimmauld Place could be an answer, but why would Dumbledore send Harry back here if he could stay at the Headquarters.

"Harry, did the Headmaster ever tell you why you have to stay with your relatives? I mean, the Wealseys would have been thrilled if they could have you for the summer, and it's not like you like this place …" he muttered the last part. He made sure not to mention Sirius' old house, Merlin knows how bad the young man in front of him was affected by the death of his godfather, and he didn't want to discuss this gloomy issue so early in the evening. Remus was not even sure he wanted to talk about the subject with Harry, as he was still hurting from the loss of his best friend. Shaking his head out of this train of thought, he found an expression out of place on the said boy's face: a sneer.

"Dumbledore" Harry spat the name as if it was something filthy "told me about some blood protections placed around this house, which will remain as long as I spend a certain amount of time each summer here." Harry took a deep breath to calm himself. "He thoughtfully forgot to mention how much time I should stay here." He added sarcastically.

Remus was a bit surprised by the amount of anger Harry clearly felt towards the headmaster. Dumbledore had told the Order during their first meeting after the end of the school year that he had lost a considerable amount of the trust Harry had in him, and that he had made some mistakes that he could no longer correct (Remus had a suspicion he was talking about Sirius). What also surprised the werewolf was the loose control Harry had over his magic. For a moment, he had felt the magic pouring from his young charge, and had feared that some kind of accident might occur. So, he put that subject on top of the ones he will discuss tonight with Harry. His conscience reminded him that he was stalling the discussion about Sirius' will, but he didn't give it any notice.

Seeing that Harry had calmed down, he started his questioning: "Tell me, Harry, have you ever felt magic rush out of you like you did just now?". He tried using a neutral tone in order to get Harry talking. He was answered with a blush.

Harry had thought about the previous time he had a magical outburst, as he called it, and about using such energy for other purposes than making black marks on the walls of his room. Getting even redder in the face, he murmured back: "About two days ago, when I received an undesired letter, there was bolts a multicoloured lights emanating from all over my body, then one big bolt darted for the wall and made a scorch mark". The only situation where Harry would have felt more embarrassed was if Ms. Weasley asked him about his sex life. For some unknown reason, his magic was a very personal matter to him. Thinking back to other occurrences, he continued: "A couple of times at school, when some article of the Daily Prophet made me angry, I made the breakfast cutlery rattle on the table. I can't remember any other occasions when something like that happened. I mean, I did some accidental magic before going to Hogwarts, but I don't think you were talking about that." He looked up from watching his fingers to find a thoughtful expression on Remus' face.

Remus knew that a loose controle on one's magic can be caused by many things. It can be that one's raw magical level has increased faster than the body can cope. It can also simply be that one's magic is closely related to emotions. And that is just two of the common reasons for accidental magic after the beginning of one's magical education. Going back to his line of questions, he smiled mischievously to Harry: " And what about that accident with your aunt? I think it counts as one". Harry didn't think he could get any redder but he felt more blood flush to his cheeks. "Yes, I forgot about that accident" he answered sheepishly. "But I wasn't punished on that instance. In fact, I received a notice from the ministry when Dobby levitated a cake in the summer after my first year, I didn't do any underage magic that time. It kind of makes a very unreliable image of the ministry, if you ask me."

Even if Remus was interested in knowing the details, he didn't want to change subjects, something he seemed to be doing a lot since he arrived here. "Did you know that accidental magic seldom happens to students after their first couple of months at Hogwarts?" It seemed that Harry didn't since he shook his head, so Remus decided to push on. "That is due to the fact that one of the first things school teaches to magical children is to control their own magic. No, there is no lesson explicitly about this subject, but you learn to channel your magic into useful things, like transfiguration or charms. The magic that pours out of you, for lack of other expressions, is kind of wasted in your case. It is true that your body generates what you loose but meanwhile, you will feel drained, thus dangerously exposed to attacks."

Harry felt more embarrassed, to say the least. But he kept his head held up, he wanted some answers, he wanted some help, and who better to ask than the Marauder version of Hermione Granger. "But how am I supposed to channel my magic if I'm not supposed to do any during the summer holidays? Are there other means to control one's magic? And how come I have trouble controlling my magic and not others, even if we all learned the same things? Why ... " Harry trailed off once he saw Remus raise his hand. He was frustrated by the fact that he couldn't be normal even in the simplest of things.

"One question at a time, Harry. First, you can do magic during the holidays, it's just that you can't use focused spells. And since wizards and witches use a wand or a staff to focus their magic, wandless magic is not forbidden, but it is extremely difficult to control. I can't even levitate a feather wandlessly. As for other means to control one's magic, it's better to act on the reasons why the control is lost, feelings in your case. And the best way to control feelings is through occlumency, or meditation. Now, I know that your experience with occlumency is not a good one, and I don't blame you for it at all, we all know that Snape can be a greasy git, specially when it comes to you" Remus finished with a wink.

"But how come I received a warning from the ministry when Dobby made a levitation charm? I mean, he didn't use a wand. As a matter of fact, why did I receive a warning when it was him that used magic?"

"Nobody really knows how Elfs' magic work, so I really don't know the answer to your first question. However, since you're the only magic user in this house, any focused spell would be attributed to you. The ministry looks for magical signature if more than one magic user live in a house. If you ask me, they're just trying to cut their work load, slacking off in other words."

"So that leaves me with occlumency or meditation. Can you help me to learn one or both of these practices?" Harry asked almost pleadingly. The idea of magic, his magic, going to waste was revolting for some reason.

"I don't know much about occlumency, because werewolves have natural mind protections, but I'll try to find you some books on the subject. Since we're at it, do you need any books? I can get you some on my next visit to Flourish and Blotts. As for meditation, I use it rather frequently to help me distinguish between my genuine feelings and those of the wolf inside. I have the perfect book on the subject for you. I'll bring it with me with the other books next time I come by."

"I wish I could come with you and choose the books I want, because I really don't have a precise idea of what I want. Damn Dumbledore and his manipulations. One thing I want to learn that school doesn't teach us is offensive magic, and not spells easily countered like the impedimenta or the stupefy. I learned of my little adventure at the Department of Mysteries that Death Eaters do not duel one on one, they use their bulk to attack and to counter whatever curse one of them is hit with. Anyway, I'll read any book you deem good for me, you know I have almost nothing to do here. But it will only be theory, I can't even practice."

"Well you can practice occlumency, it's not a focused magic." Both wizards stayed silent for some time, thinking. Remus was beginning to seriously question Dumbledore's decision to leave Harry with his relatives. 12 Grimmauld Place was under the Fidelus Charm, meaning that Dumbledore has to willingly give the address to someone if that person wanted to get in. And even if there was a traitor in the Order of the Phoenix, the traitor can't tell the address to anybody since he is not the secret keeper. So if ever there was a traitor, he would have to kidnap Harry from the Headquarters under the watchful eyes of the entire Order, assuming that Harry was staying there of course.

Remus looked at the hour and found that it was already after 10. He couldn't disappear from his guard duties for a long period of time. That meant that he should discuss Sirius' will right about now. "Harry, I'm sorry to bring this subject now, but I should tell you about the will Sirius left with Gringotts." He saw that Harry's face got sombre just at the mention of the name of his godfather. "I know you're still hurting, Merlin knows I still am, but you told me that Dumbledore haven't sent you the letter Sirius left to you in his will, and I can guess now why." Harry looked up at him with questioning eyes. "I don't know the detailed contents of the will, but one thing I know is that Padfoot wanted to get you emancipated, and Dumbledore was totally opposed to it, saying that you're not responsible enough."

Of all the things to ask, Harry said "Emancipated?", and Remus obliged "Meaning you will be a legal adult in the magical world in the least. You would use your magic without restraints, you would have access to your vaults, you would take care of your affairs without having to have the approval of a legal guardian ..." Remus trailed off, seeing that Harry had other questions yet. "My vaults?" Again, Remus was surprised by the question. "Yes, your vaults. You already have access to your trust vault, but not your family vaults until you're an adult. You didn't think your parents left you with only the trust vault, did you? The Potter family is one of the oldest magical families, even older than the Blacks. Add to that your mother's shrewd business mind and all the investments that she made, and you'll be one of the richest men in England once you become an adult."

"Why do all people know more about my family than I do?" Harry complained exasperated. "I don't even know what my parents did for a living!"

"Your father played professional Quidditch for a year, but he got bored and decided to become an Auror. He finished the Auror training in a record time, however he joined the Unspeakables. Your mother worked for the Ministry, in the department of International Relations to be more precise. They both stopped what they were doing when they went into hiding. Now you know what Lily and James did after school. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I guess we all assumed that you already knew. I'm becoming more and more convinced that placing you with the Dursleys was a mistake. Enough with that, I have to tell you about what other things Sirius said in his will. I told you about the emancipation, Dumbledore is trying to block that part but I don't know if he will succeed, since Sirius used ancient laws that exist since the Founders' time to grant you more freedom. Sirius also left for you a considerable part of the Black family wealth, which was also an old family with a noble title and the riches that come with it."

Remus was about to continue when Harry interrupted him. "I don't want it." Bewildered by Harry's vehemence, Remus asked "What don't you want?". Harry's answer was short. "Sirius' money."

Harry looked away and gazed through the window of his small bedroom. He knew he was being irrational, that Sirius would want him to enjoy himself with all the possible means, but some part of him still thought that Sirius will come back one day, and taking his money was cementing the fact that he will never be back. Remus' voice interrupted his musings.

"Harry, you have to accept his will. Since you're the primary benefactor, refusing the will would make it void, hence giving all the Black family wealth to the closest living relatives, the Malfoys and the Lestranges." Seeing that this got a reaction from Harry, Remus went on. "Harry, I know that you would give the contents of all your vaults to have Sirius back, I know I would too, but you have to accept that he's gone." It seems that Remus knew what Harry was thinking. "Sirius wants you to enjoy your life, and he's giving you the means to do it, so just take the money and cherish the memories that you have of him. That would make him very happy, wherever he is."

Harry's will to argue was faltering, but he did nonetheless. "But I already have plenty to go by if what you're telling me about my family vaults is true." Remus wanted to end this argument to get to his last point. "What I'm telling is true, but what Sirius wanted was to keep your family vaults for necessary stuff, and to buy yourself every whim with the Black vaults. Harry, we know that you didn't have much before coming to Hogwarts and you still don't have much, that's why Sirius left all this to you: he wants you to live your life, not just to survive."

After a minute of silence, Harry had resigned himself to his new wealth. But he wanted to do something. "I want to give you and the Weasleys part of what Sirius left for me." Remus had to smile, he was waiting for Harry to say this ever since he knew of the contents of the will. In some way, it was very reassuring. "Sirius has already taken care of that, cub. That's why you have the big part of the vaults, and not all their contents. The Weasleys won't have to buy second hand clothes and books for the next generation, and seeing how the boys are taking care of themselves, their reputation of modest background should change fast enough."

"What about you?" Harry asked. "I know you used an eagle owl the other day, but you're still wearing the same old clothes." As a matter of fact, the robes Remus was wearing were well worn off.

"Sirius left me a considerable amount of money and other things, but I like to keep a modest outfit. A werewolf wearing new clothes arises suspicion, as people tend to think that since they aren't well paid everywhere they do an honourable job, they certainly stole and killed to afford such commodities."

Seeing that Harry had nothing to add, Remus moved on. "The Black family also had several residences. Sirius left most of them to you, but he gave me a flat in Hogsmead, and we share the lease of Grimmauld Place. I know it's not my place to ask you, but do you want the Order of the Phoenix to keep it as their headquarters?"

Harry thought about the question. The Order was not acting as he would have liked, he wanted a more offensive role for it, but it still saved a lot of lives. "Yes, no problem with that." Harry answered offhandedly.

Remus stood up, he had to leave. He still had a little less than an hour of guard duty, and then he would be going back to the Headquarters. Even though he didn't like the gloomy atmosphere of the Black mansion, especially now with Sirius gone, he knew his absence won't pass unnoticed and he didn't want to answer any awkward questions. "Sorry Harry, but I have to leave now, it's pretty late already, and you should get your beauty sleep." He said with a smile.

Harry also stood up. He didn't know if he should give Remus a hug, shake his hand or do nothing. But Remus made the decision easier when he got closer and took Harry between his arms. When they separated, Remus had glassy eyes. An unspoken agreement was established at that moment, they both knew it and even felt it. Remus was Harry's parents' only true friend that was still alive, and Harry was the only member left in Moony's pack.

Even though he already knew the answer, Remus had to ask. "Sirius also wanted me to be a kind of unofficial godfather to you, since you won't need one once you become an adult and I can't be one because of the current ministry laws about werewolves." he said without breaking the eye contact. He knew he was babbling but he didn't care.

Harry approached Remus again, this time less awkwardly, and gave him a hug while saying "Of course Moony".

Remus left, and Harry, alone again and emotionally drained, went to bed soon after


	4. Musings

Author notes: I decided to continue this story. I wasn't very happy with the third chapter, so I made some changes. Moreover, the major part of this chapter is about Harry thinking. I put everything in the third person, because it made the flow easier. I'd like to thank my beta, Timothée for his contribution so far. I hope you find everything to your liking.

Chapter 4: Musings

The next day was a Friday. That morning, Harry woke up due to a loud thud coming from the direction of the window near his bed. Opening his eyes and glancing to the alarm clock, he saw it was about half past eight. Standing up, he went to the window and pushed it all the way up to investigate what made the sound. He had left it half open for some fresh air during the night and to let his owl out if she wanted to go hunting. As soon as the window was fully open, Pigwidgeon flew in and started flying in circles around the room, earning disapproving hoots from Hedwig. "Stupid energetic owl, can't even enter through half opened windows" Harry muttered, as he caught the tiny owl with one hand and struggled to release its load because the bird was fidgeting. Once done, he set it free and it flew back outside without pause.

The owl had carried one rolled parchment and a thick envelop. Intrigued, he opened the envelop and found a stack of bank notes, a small key and a note from Remus telling him that he forgot to give him yesterday his Gringotts key and the money he had asked for, and that he would like an explanation the next time he visited. Harry himself had also forgotten about it, after the prank he pulled and the serious conversation he had the night before. But it was somehow fortunate, he did not know how to explain to his mentor that he wanted to bribe his aunt. The parchment was a short letter from Ron, telling him that he was at the headquarters of the Order, waiting while the wards of the Burrow were being upgraded, and asking him if everything was alright. This was the second letter he had gotten from his best friend since the summer break started. His other best friend had owled him 2 days after they last saw each other at the train station, telling him she was going on vacation with her parents, and that she will be back by the end of July.

Thinking about his friends made Harry smile. He was really grateful to have such good friends, despite their failings. Hermione was bossy and had utter respect for authority figures, but she was also clever, loyal and trustworthy. Ron was blunt and jealous, but he was an excellent companion in fun times and a good strategist. The three of them made a balanced team. And if you added the dreamy Luna and her insightfulness, the shy Neville and his determination, and the hot-tempered Ginny and the moral support she brought to people around her, you get a group with great dynamics and complementary talents. But it did not mean that he didn't worry about them. Everybody had sustained injury after the Department of Mystery events, and Hermione could have even died after her encounter with Antonin Dolohov. He knew he was putting them in danger, but he also knew that they came with him on his little adventures by choice, he was not forcing them along. Really, he was grateful to have friends who stuck by him through thick and thin.

Harry went on with his day; shower, breakfast, chores and then lunch. Since all of his activities were mechanical, he had time to think, and think he did. Now that he had the money, what did he want to use it for? This led him to think about what he wanted to do for the summer. His goal for the foreseeable future was to get rid of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He knew that, with his current situation, he could hardly take on two trained Death Eaters head on, least not the Dark Lord himself. He was a good duellist and a powerful wizard, but he lacked experience and talents. To defeat Voldemort, he has to be resourceful, to take advantage of everything he got, and to discover the power mentioned in the prophecy. He was not stupid enough to believe that love was that power, he could just imagine flinging himself on the Heir of Slytherin, hugging and kissing him. The most he could hope to achieve in the process was petrifying the red eyed monster for a moment, and disgusting himself.

So he needed to train in order to gain experience, and he needed to uncover any dormant talent he had. However he could not practice focused magic, and he did not have the freedom to go wherever he wanted to, he was watched by Dumbledore and the Order. What was worse, he did not know what are the headmaster's motives in regard to him, what were all these manipulations leading to? He knew that the leader of the Light wanted to control him, he was just a pawn (he liked to think he was a bishop) in this great game of chess that Dumbledore and Voldemort were playing. While one wanted the greater good, the other wanted world domination. Voldemort's motives are straight forward, and the means to achieve them are pretty standard and known. On the other hand, Dumbledore's motives are subject to interpretation. In this regard, Harry was more wary of Dumbledore. Wouldn't the headmaster sacrifice him if that played well for the greater good? Harry was not selfish, but he esteemed his life, and more importantly, he esteemed the lives of the people that were used in order to protect his, like his parents' lives and Sirius'.

By the end of a morning of musings, Harry remarked that he had developed his Slytherin side in a couple of hours as much as he had developed it in the past 5 years. He surprised himself by admitting that he had fought against this ambitious and cunning side of him, even though it was always a part of him. Sometimes, he was intentionally reckless, just to prove to himself and the others that he was a true Griffindor. Did he regret arguing with the Sorting Hat on the first year? No, for he knew he was brave, and he knew that he wouldn't have his current friends if he had ended in Slytherin house. Dumbledore had said, in his infinite wisdom, that it was our choices that make us who we are. Harry believed that.

Everything comes back to Dumbledore, Harry thought. He was angry with the old wizard, but he knew he could not defeat Voldemort without him. Dumbledore was the head of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore could easily manipulate the Ministry. Dumbledore could make his life easy, or complicate matters for him at school. As much as it amused him now to think of destroying the headmaster's office every other week whenever he decides to throw a temper tantrum, he should be very careful around the man and still act the expected way. Until he discovers Dumbledore's plans for him.

Meanwhile, what the headmaster doesn't know doesn't hurt him. He should contact Remus and ask him for a couple of things and to arrange a meeting with him next week. Harry wanted to be sure where the werewolf stood, if ever things came to a conflict between him and the headmaster. And he decided to indulge himself to a little shopping spree with his aunt. After all, if he ever wanted to convince people, he should be presentable in the least, and the rags he had will not do.

By the middle of the afternoon, he had finished the letter for Remus. He instructed Hedwig to deliver it to his Hogsmead residence, even if she had to wait a couple of days for him to come back from the Order headquarters. He petted his owl for half an hour, gave her extra treats for the eventual wait she'll have to endure, than sent her on her way, watching her beautiful gleaming while form disappear in the horizon. The letter she carried read:

_Dear Remus,  
I asked Hedwig to wait for you in your Hogsmead apartment. You told me you were staying there mainly, and I didn't want Dumbledore or the Order to see that we are often in contact. You are my only link to the outside world, I trust you, and I don't want to put you in a tight spot with the headmaster.  
I don't know how much the Order business keeps you busy, and I don't know what occupies your time outside this business. In fact, I don't know much about you, but I would like to get to know you better. I would be very pleased to see you again soon, maybe at the end of next week, if you have evening watch duties.  
I would like to ask you for a few more favours, and I hope it won't be much for you. I would like to know which days of next week will Mad Eye Moody NOT be on guard duty over my relatives' residence. I just want to do some discreet muggle shopping with my aunt, without the knowledge of the Order. I think that there won't be any security problems in this regard, since I will be mingling exclusively among muggles.  
I also want you to look for a couple of books for me. I want an extensive guide book on the different kinds of magic, and another on the different magical talents. I wonder if you can find a book on the history of my family, but I guess that these things can only be found in my family vaults, as pure bloods tend to keep their family matters secret. And if you could add the meditation and occlumency books to the package, I would be very grateful.  
I hope I'm not causing you too much trouble. I hate not being able to take care of things myself, but Dumbledore has me on a tight leash.  
Take care godfather.  
Love,  
Harry_

Harry was happy with the letter. And he knew there was some emotional blackmail in its folds. But Remus was an adult, and he was clever enough to make his own rational decisions. Now was the time to have a talk with his aunt. He really was not sure if he should have this talk. It was not necessary, he could slip out of the house under his invisibility cloak, take a walk and then the bus or a taxi after he was far enough to keep his watchers unaware of his escape. But he did not know where to go. He was never out with his aunt and cousin when they went to buy the latter new clothes. And in his younger years, he was never one to venture too far from his relatives' house. To put it in a nutshell, he was clueless where to go.

What did he want to buy anyway? Of course, he needed a whole new wardrobe. He would also like to buy some new glasses, and maybe some contact lenses. He should make a stop at a hair stylist, to see if something could be done with the bird nest he carried around everywhere he went. That would cover his first outing, so to speak.

With the shopping list settled, Harry wondered how to confront his aunt. He would not be trying to change the relation between them: even if he craved affection, there was much bad blood between him and Petunia. His aunt never showed him any kind of love, and he had accepted this fact. Personally, he thought she was a bad parent, spoiling one child and totally neglecting the other. She was not the greedy type, but she cared a lot for appearances. Harry was happy to see that she held her own in front of Vernon, and he wondered what kind of leverage she had against him. For it was true that Vernon was more bark than bite, but he was far too docile with his wife, Harry thought. Maybe it was love, maybe it was something else. Harry made a disgusted face when he found where his musings were leading him, and he went back to the matters at hand. Why did his aunt dislike him? Why did she dislike her sister, his mother? He thought it was jealousy, at least at the beginning. His mother was the beautiful younger daughter, and she was also the talented one, even if her talents were not what you would expect. Magic was not the most natural thing in the muggle world. Maybe his grandparents doted more on his mother than on his aunt. And when Harry thought about it, he saw that a wizard's life was easier than a muggle's. The result of a bit of wand waving could take hours, even days, to be achieved the muggle way.

Even though his aunt's jealousy could be justified, it didn't justify how he was treated. But he guessed it was human nature. Sometimes, you can't help being bitter. Harry started chuckling when he thought that his aunt and his Potions professor were alike in this regard. He could just imagine Severus Snape's face if he told him he was like his muggle aunt.

Sighing, Harry stood from his lying position on his bed. He had decided on his course of action. He would try to be reasonable at first, and give his aunt the benefit of doubt. They shared blood after all. And if worse came to happen, he would bribe her. Thinking of bribing people brought the manipulations of Dumbledore to mind, but he shook his head to clear his wandering thoughts. He may be manipulating, but it was not the life altering kind. His Griffindor morals told him that this bribe would be a win-win situation, so it was acceptable.

Harry went down the stairs. At the landing, he heard that someone was watching the telly, and he was grateful to see that it was his aunt, and his cousin was nowhere to be seen. Petunia was sitting with a straight back on one of the couches, and she was drinking tea in a very proper manner. Harry smiled, thinking that she was practicing for her tea parties, since it was some time since she went to one. Making his face expressionless, he walked calmly into the sitting room, and waited for his aunt to put her tea cup down on the table to make himself present, by clearing his throat. He was sure that his aunt had seen him coming and had ignored him, but he didn't let that fact disturb him. She slowly turned her head in his direction, keeping her proper act. Harry was now almost sure that she was practicing, and trying to throw him off, but he went ahead without fidgeting.

"May I have a word with you, aunt Petunia?" he asked with a neutral tone. She was very surprised at his proper manners, and her act crumbled. She glared at him and hissed "What do you want?". He fixed her with an intense look while keeping his expression unreadable "Do you think I'm responsible for what is happening to uncle Vernon?". She really hadn't said anything on that matter before, it was just his uncle that was sprouting that nonsense. Her answer was automatic "Of course you are, you and your unnatural lot, you cause only problems". Harry had expected this answer and didn't even blink "Do you really believe so?".

Harry was starting to see that his strategy was a success, his aunt was really unnerved now, she was opening and closing her mouth without saying anything understandable. Closing her mouth one final time, she glared at him, and took a sip of tea. After a couple of minutes, seeing that Harry wasn't even moving, she said calmly "Why do you ask?".

'How very Slytherin of you, aunt Petunia', Harry thought amused. Now it was time to give in a little, in order to assure Petunia, and see how he will proceed. "I ask because I see that you are suffering from the situation. You are the only one who does not fear me in this household. Dudley is still traumatized from last summer's event, and uncle Vernon was highly affected by what was said at the train station 3 weeks ago. Even if you really believe I am unnatural, you understand our lot far better, you have had more dealings with us. What I'm offering is a truce and a deal. Do not understand me wrong, I am not asking for affection, I am asking that you stop showing me as much hostility.". Harry gave himself a mental thumbs up, he was satisfied with how he was holding on in this new kind of conversation. He had not said any word related to magic to avoid angering his aunt, and he had left her with an opening, which she directly took advantage of.

"And what kind of a deal are you proposing? What do you have to offer, and what do you expect in return?". Harry was a little saddened, but it did not show on his face. His aunt has pounced on the opening he has left, and ignored the little change of attitude he was asking for. Sure, he didn't have much hope for a change, but he had hoped nonetheless. It seemed that his aunt was too materialistic. That did not mean he would be the same.

"The deal that I'm proposing is two-fold. On one hand, I would ask for your help and your time for a bit of shopping, in exchange of a fee we will agree upon. I have come into an inheritance from my father's side, which I hope will benefit the both of us. But more importantly, I would like you to tell me about my grandparents, and in exchange, I offer you and Dudley help and shelter, if ever you decide to get separated from uncle Vernon.". Harry was hoping his aunt did not know much about his father's family, which was very likely. And he was more interested to know about his mother more than his grandparents, but he chose not to mention her.

Again, Petunia showed some sign of surprise. Harry thought that she had not expected him to be as kind to her and her son, after the way he had been treated. In truth, he knew that it was an offer she could not refuse. And he let her deliberate on it for a while. His legs were starting to hurt from standing without movement for so long.

So Harry was bit surprised when his aunt said almost gently "Sit down, Harry", while indicating the couch next to her. He obeyed. She looked up at him and sighted. "I accept your offer" she said. "And I do not blame you for Vernon's predicament. He is a hard working man, but I think his success had gotten to his head, and that caused him to lose his previous job. Do you want some tea?". Harry readily accepted. What followed was an hour long conversation. Harry didn't know how to describe it. The talk was friendly, but kept a slight formal nature. His aunt didn't talk about things that could lead to arguments, but she did bargain about the fee.

Harry discovered all about his grandparents, Paul and Carmen Evans. His grandfather was a lawyer, and he loved his job. He was an intelligent and loving father, who liked to spoil his daughters and take them on secret trips without his wife's knowledge. Carmen Evans was a math teacher at a local college, she was a very affective mother but a strict disciplinarian. She loved her husband even if he often annoyed her. Petunia said that they were well off, since both their jobs paid well. She remembered her childhood with a lot of nostalgia. Petunia and Lily seemed the studious type, and both did well at school. That is until Lily got her Hogwarts letter. Petunia didn't mention much after that period. She just said that Lily came back to live with her parents and sister at 4 Privet Drive after her graduation. And she stayed for a year. During that year, his grandparents died in a boat accident while on vacation somewhere in the North. They left them with the house and a handsome sum of money. Petunia used most of her part of inheritance to purchase her sister's half of the house, since she had moved with James Potter by then.

Harry had listened without interrupting much. He had learned much about his family today, and he thanked his aunt for sharing. He promised her that he will keep his part of the deal. By five in the afternoon, he was back in his room. He locked the door, and then went to his hiding spot on the roof. He lay there, thinking about things that were, and things to come, and what role he wanted to play in the scheme of things. He looked up the sky and tried to recognize the shapes of the clouds. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget to enjoy the simplest of things, and to remember that he was still a 15 year old boy.

Later, his aunt called for dinner. He did the evening rituals he was used to, and then came back to his room. 'No rest for the wicked' he thought amusingly, as he took his fifth year Potions manual, and continued reading where he had stopped.


End file.
